About The Project

In Spring 2014, USC Annenberg’s J585 Reporting on Religion course focused on the upcoming elections in India. Anticipating voting between April 7 and May 12, the class went to Mumbai in mid- March to report on the contest between Narendra Modi, leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Rahul Gandhi of the incumbent Indian National Congress (INC). The BJP’s commitment to Hindutva and Hindu nationalism made the election salient for students of religion, culture and politics. But before hitting the hustings, students spent the weekend at an ashram. This year’s partnerships with GlobalPost, KPCC and Indian Express were augmented by publications in outlets ranging from the Atlantic to Killing the Buddha.